bombs away
Member
Hello,
Yesterday was june 6th and this particular day the postman came with a very nice grouping.
Even if it's quite far from flightj ackets, I think it might be interesting for you guys.
Today's airman is Walter G.Gates, waist gunner from the 716th BS, 449th BG, 15th Air Force.
His experience is a perfect illustration of what I've always thought : USAAF units of the mediteranean theater of operations have had very tough time, as tough as the other units based in England. Unfortunately their sacrifice is less known.
Walter Gates was first prepared for being a mechanic, but in 1943 he became a gunner.
He joined then Lt George Foote's crew.
Here is the crew, just before going overseas.
Walter Gates is first left, standing.
On december 28th 1943, the crew arrived at Grottaglie, southern Italy, with the firsts original crews of the 449th BG.
The tour started with the crew's first mission on january the 16th 1944.
Their B-24 named "shamrock" used to come back several times with many flak holes, bullets holes, or even with 2 engines working out of 4.
The 24th of may 1944, the crew is experimented, most of the men are flying their 45th mission this day. The crew has already claimed 9 fighters destroyed and 7 probables.
Target for today : Wolersdorf airport, Wiener Neustadt in Austria. The crew had already came to bomb this airport in april and at this first time opposition was very tough and flak accurate.
Flying as tail end charlie, the Shamrock has been attacked by several fighters already before the target. Arriving over Wiener Neustadt, 2 engines are working half power only.
Just after the "bombs away" the Shamrock is directly hit by a 88mm flak shell, just behind the pilot and co-pilot's cabin.
The co-pilot, Lt Madigan is killed, engineer/top turret gunner T/Sgt Gorrell is unconscious. Fire is getting everywhere in the front part of the plane.
The pilot, Lt George Foote and the navigator are fighting the fire while Foote is trying to keep the plane in position to help the other crewmen to bail out.
This is the last image the other crewmen will keep of him. His sacrifice has saved 6 other men.
As the plane is falling apart, 6 men will bail out : Lt Murphy, Lt Nelson, T/Sgt Yano, S/Sgt Farmer, S/Sgt Salyer and Sgt Gates.
Once on the ground, Walter Gates will find Lt Nelson and these 2 men will try to get to Yougoslavia to find the partisans. They won't succeed and will get caught 3 days later.
Lt Foote, Lt Madigan, T/Sgt Gorrell and S/sgt Lain are Killed In Action.
Gates will be sent to Stalag Luft 4 where he will stay one year before liberation in may 1945.
Life was very tough in this stalag and many men will die during the long marches to escape the advance of the Red Army.
Now the grouping in itself :
Sgt Gates dog tags :
His insignias :
Engraved air medal:
But here are the most interesting and rare items :
- German POW dog tag given to Sgt Gates
- very rare original pics taken in the stalag, with stalag money :
And, the most significative to me, 3 hand written diaries, from the end of 1943 to the 22th of may 1944, 2 days before the dramatic end of the Shamrock.
Examples of what can be read and how interesting it is, just take a few minutes to read please :
Even if it's only a quick view, I hope you'll find this grouping as interesting and emotional as I did.
Tim
Yesterday was june 6th and this particular day the postman came with a very nice grouping.
Even if it's quite far from flightj ackets, I think it might be interesting for you guys.
Today's airman is Walter G.Gates, waist gunner from the 716th BS, 449th BG, 15th Air Force.
His experience is a perfect illustration of what I've always thought : USAAF units of the mediteranean theater of operations have had very tough time, as tough as the other units based in England. Unfortunately their sacrifice is less known.
Walter Gates was first prepared for being a mechanic, but in 1943 he became a gunner.
He joined then Lt George Foote's crew.
Here is the crew, just before going overseas.
Walter Gates is first left, standing.
On december 28th 1943, the crew arrived at Grottaglie, southern Italy, with the firsts original crews of the 449th BG.
The tour started with the crew's first mission on january the 16th 1944.
Their B-24 named "shamrock" used to come back several times with many flak holes, bullets holes, or even with 2 engines working out of 4.
The 24th of may 1944, the crew is experimented, most of the men are flying their 45th mission this day. The crew has already claimed 9 fighters destroyed and 7 probables.
Target for today : Wolersdorf airport, Wiener Neustadt in Austria. The crew had already came to bomb this airport in april and at this first time opposition was very tough and flak accurate.
Flying as tail end charlie, the Shamrock has been attacked by several fighters already before the target. Arriving over Wiener Neustadt, 2 engines are working half power only.
Just after the "bombs away" the Shamrock is directly hit by a 88mm flak shell, just behind the pilot and co-pilot's cabin.
The co-pilot, Lt Madigan is killed, engineer/top turret gunner T/Sgt Gorrell is unconscious. Fire is getting everywhere in the front part of the plane.
The pilot, Lt George Foote and the navigator are fighting the fire while Foote is trying to keep the plane in position to help the other crewmen to bail out.
This is the last image the other crewmen will keep of him. His sacrifice has saved 6 other men.
As the plane is falling apart, 6 men will bail out : Lt Murphy, Lt Nelson, T/Sgt Yano, S/Sgt Farmer, S/Sgt Salyer and Sgt Gates.
Once on the ground, Walter Gates will find Lt Nelson and these 2 men will try to get to Yougoslavia to find the partisans. They won't succeed and will get caught 3 days later.
Lt Foote, Lt Madigan, T/Sgt Gorrell and S/sgt Lain are Killed In Action.
Gates will be sent to Stalag Luft 4 where he will stay one year before liberation in may 1945.
Life was very tough in this stalag and many men will die during the long marches to escape the advance of the Red Army.
Now the grouping in itself :
Sgt Gates dog tags :
His insignias :
Engraved air medal:
But here are the most interesting and rare items :
- German POW dog tag given to Sgt Gates
- very rare original pics taken in the stalag, with stalag money :
And, the most significative to me, 3 hand written diaries, from the end of 1943 to the 22th of may 1944, 2 days before the dramatic end of the Shamrock.
Examples of what can be read and how interesting it is, just take a few minutes to read please :
Even if it's only a quick view, I hope you'll find this grouping as interesting and emotional as I did.
Tim
